Skip Stam: Statist Troublemaker? | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: Brant Clifton casts his eye on another lawyer in the North Carolina Legislature in his "bare knuckles" Conservative online publication known as The Daily Haymaker.

    Some disturbing reports are coming over the transom about the former NC state House majority leader recently banished to purgatory (a/k/a the post of speaker pro tem). Apparently, state Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam is not too fond of grassroots efforts to fight nasty overreaches from DC like, say, ObamaCare and gun control executive orders:

    [...] A question that must be answered and soon by those that have been elected to our State Legislature, do they not only accept ever-expanding federal tyranny flowing out of Washington, DC but do they also help implement it?

    From numerous interviews and statements it is obvious that Rep. Paul 'Skip' Stam Speaker Pro Tempore thinks that we should obey and submit to whatever the federal government says. He has repeatedly said that the Supremacy Clause makes federal actions unchallengeable and the law of the land.

    Is he right? The answer is clearly No! The Supremacy Clause reads: This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; ...shall be the supreme Law of the Land. Only laws made in pursuance of the Constitution - that is, in keeping with the powers enumerated to the federal government - stand as legitimate laws. All other acts are usurpation, and by definition null, void and of no force. An illegal act cannot stand supreme. In fact, it is criminal and should be punished like any other crime.

    Further, he states that the "Civil War" settled the issue of states standing up to the federal government. This is like saying that a woman beaten by her husband or boyfriend must submit and accept whatever he demands from now until the end of time. Is that what Rep. Stam really wants us to believe? Since Skip Stam is a lawyer, he would have been or should have been taught in law school that you are not legally bound by anything you are forced to do through violence or threats of violence.

    Whether he believes we cannot oppose federal actions out of ignorance or because he is a statist and believes in a strong, authoritative central government using political power to force policy on a passive or resisting society; does it really matter? Hopefully his actions and statements are based on ignorance that is something that can be corrected easily, statism is another matter.

    Mitigating his beliefs as a lone legislator in the General Assembly can be easy but with his position as Speaker Pro Tempore, he wields a lot of power. Unfortunately, we have reports that say he is trying to intimidate legislators into not introducing bills to block the implementation of numerous unconstitutional federal actions in our state. We will see over the next few weeks if his actions will result in the people of North Carolina being forced into a position of submission with the resulting loss of our rights; let's hope there are men and women in the legislature who will stand up to him.

    Known for being "First in Freedom" those at the North Carolina convention ratifying the US Constitution insisted that there must be a Bill of Rights to protect State Sovereignty and the rights of the people the state. Even our official state motto of "To be, rather than to seem" makes it obvious that our states' founders expected more from our state leaders than mere rhetoric, they expected them to oppose tyranny no matter from what quarter it comes from. [...]

    I've received reports about Stam throughout his tenure as Republican leader in the House. Current and former members tell me he played way too nice with Joe Hackney and other Democrat leaders, reportedly often going as far as briefing them on GOP caucus strategy sessions.

    Republicans like Skip Stam and Richard Morgan are a huge problem. We spend a lot of time and money at election time selling the GOP as the party of limited government and low taxes. Yet, guys and gals get elected under the GOP banner, then go to work "managing" the welfare state they promised so vehemently during the election to help dismantle.

    If Stam enjoys being a back-slapping good ol' boy, he needs to go back to hanging out at the Wake County courthouse full time. The economy and very fiber of our state and nation are in peril. We need serious people with serious solutions at the helm of our ship of state. "Managing" the welfare state got us to the point where we are now. It will not help us reverse course.